Designers have trade secrets. They know decorating is a process that is never really done. But they also know lots of tips and sage advice for
Today is Practically Speaking were we tackle decor issues straight on!
Today it’s about keeping our homes in style and beautiful using designer secrets! And here are my favorite designer tips to use in your home!
Designers LOVE style and magazines are filled with gorgeous rooms done in breathtaking colors with plush furniture adorned with high end and expensive fabrics. Everything in those
There has to be a way to decorate a room so it can look beautiful, stay within budget, be updated and welcoming and look fresh and relevant for years. Or is this just wishing on a star?
Actually,
We can’t be pie-in-the-sky when it comes to decorating. Decorating is work! We must more often than not compromise on the things we wish we could have in our homes. The hard reality is many of us settle for what we can afford! I said this is Practically Speaking! But that does not mean we can’t live beautifully! And be surrounded by a lovely home.
Our goal as homemakers (oh, is that politically incorrect now?) is to create a warm, clean, welcoming sanctuary for our families and have a place we can share fellowship with others too! And most of us like to do it in style! Our style!
Here are some savvy ways to keep your home looking and feeling its decorated best straight from the pro’s!
PAINT EVERYTHING NEUTRAL
I know you hear me talk about my LOVE for painting! Painting the walls, ceilings, woodworks, floors and just about everything in my home. So you must know how important I think it is to keep your home clean and fresh with paint. A paintbrush is your magic wand and paint the magic pixie dust!
But have you thought about painting your home with neutrals? Soft whites, just-a-hint-of-color beige, a warm-tone gray, an earthy camel?
This will update your home like nothing else! Decide on a color palette for the walls and woodwork in your home and get busy.
Designers know how light neutral walls are the perfect foil for all your furnishings and accents. Even if you love color neutral walls will enhance the colorful things you have.
Our Tanglewood House is painted Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Both walls and woodwork. And oh how I want to paint the floors white too!
But if white is not your things, then choose another neutral. There are literally thousands of neutral colors to pick from.
KEEP HIGH TICKET ITEMS CLASSIC AND NEUTRAL
You will want to keep the furniture that costs the most in your home looking on trend and guarded, to some degree, from looking dated. The design professionals know traditional and classic furniture lines are the way to go! They stay in style longer!
And other more on-trend furnishings go splendidly with classic furniture! N
And here my best advice…
Only spend as much as the years you are willing to live with something.
Let me say this again…
Only spend as much as the years you are willing to live with something.
What I mean by this is if you only want to live with a chair for five years spend only enough for it so at the end of five years you are willing to let it go if you want and get something new.
This sweet chair above only cost a couple hundred dollars. It’s very well made and I’ve had it in so many rooms in StoneGable and in Tanglewood! I have gotten more than my $$ worth! I still have it in my study now. But if and when I get tired of it I won’t feel bad letting it go!
Everything has an expiration date. This is a good thing to remember. So spend money on decor that has a longer one! And be thrifty on decor that has a short expiration date!
I’ve talked to too many friends, clients, and readers who have beautiful yet dated expensive furniture.
They are very hesitant to replace it even though they don’t like it anymore. The problem… they paid a lot for it!
This makes me heartsick! I know, I did that too and I vowed when I let go of my old furniture I would not ever do that again!
Let’s face it, styles change and so do we. You don’t have the same hairstyle and clothes you did in high school, right? Right? Or the same car? Things wear out and let’s be perfectly honest here, we get tired of the same old same old!
Times have changed and we should not keep the same furnishings for our adult lives unless we really, really want to.
KEEP YOUR HOME TRENDY WITH ACCENTS
Designers have lots of secrets for keeping a home looking up to date. And we need to use those secrets in our homes.
One thing I picked up from the decorating pros is to change up the accents in my home. I
I don’t spend a lot on things like paintings and pricy pottery. It’s okay by me to use baskets on my walls instead of art and fool-the-eye downright cheap pottery or bargain store picture frames and other small items. When I’m tired of them or feel like my style might be changing I can remove what I have and add a few new things! And have no guilt at all!
THE HIGH AND LOW MIX
Now, here’s my favorite designer secret. This is my trademark move! I’ve saved the best for last!
Invest in what can’t be faked and fake the rest!
I call this the High/Low mix and it works wonders!
Here’s an example… the fuzzy white long pillow on my bed cost more than the headboard!
I just could not find a less expensive version of the Mongolian pillow. This pillow was worth investing in (although it was not too very expensive). I did buy a long faux Mongolian pillow for the bed but it did not pass muster! It did not have the high-end look I was after.
So I returned it and bit the bullet for the real deal. The Mongolian pillow is the centerpiece of the bed. This pillow would bring a high-end look to any bed or sofa in my home. And I’m sure you will see it in different rooms if you are a regular reader!
There are so many padded headboards on the market I opted for a very reasonably priced one with great tufting detail! No one will ever know the headboard is not designer but you and me!
Just don’t think of pairing more costly items with cheaper ones. Think about finding a “look alike”! Look for home decor items that mimic their more expensive
Mix refined “high” items with more rustic or “low” things! This look is my signature. I love high-end mixed with a touch of softly worn comfortable furnishings. My home’s decor is all about juxtaposition.
Here are a few other designer secrets for your home
- don’t neglect to replace furnishings and accents as they get worn out, look tired, or out of date. It’s easier to be doing a little bit continually than have to makeover an entire room all at once. And a lot less money in the long run!
- don’t fill your rooms with lots of furniture and collectibles. A
well curate room looks fresher and more up to date- remember less is more - if you have wall to wall carpeting layer an updated rug over it
- paint dated wood furniture
- so many people hold onto furniture they don’t really love because decades ago they paid a lot of $$$ for it- change out pieces a few at a time
- use lots of texture instead of color- this look lasts longer
- no matter what decorators say, YOU have the final say! Live with what you love and the things that work for you and your family!
Get started! Work towards creating rooms in your home that look beautiful and up to date for years to come!
Hi, This is a timely post. I’m a senior, and have invested in country French antiques in my earlier years. I would like to lighten up things. However, i’m afraid it would mean painting so much. Antiques are no investment as far as resale. I have a bookcase in English pine in my dining room, that I have painted the back in a color. Would painting the walls and the back of the bookcase white, off white drapes and chairs help to achieve the look. I have heart of pine floors.
I have a four poster Baker bed in my bedroom. My upholstered pieces are off white, and most of my color is in accessories and art. Would painting these antiques, or in downsizing, let them go and start over with neutrals be wiser?
Don’t let go of anything you love. I think you are on the right track when it comes to painting your walls. Heart pine is such gorgeous flooring. You might want to let go of pieces that do not suit your style anymore or that look tired or outdated. Sounds like you have a good plan, Pat.
Excellent post. I learned “Only spend as much as the years you are willing to live with something.” the hard way when I was very young. This is all great advice. I often mix high end with bargain in my wardrobe and jewelry also. It’s amazing what you can pull off in your home as well as in your wardrobe. Thanks Yvonne your blog is always an inspiration!
You are so right about what we can pull off in our homes.
Love, love , love your style! Thank you for all of your ideas and suggestions. Always happy to read your posts
So sweet Valerie
I think of decorating my home the same way as I plan my wardrobe – I invest in the classics and add a hint of trend in accessories. Every season I jot down a list of additions to my wardrobe and I do the same with my home.
You are a savvy decorator Lyn.
Wow, was this a loaded post! I pinned it because I know I’m going to want to read this again! Fantastic budgeting tips, and I want to repaint my sideboard NOW. Your home is lovely! Thank you for sharing!!
I am so happy you find this post helpful. My blogging goal and passion is to help home decorators to be better decorators.
Would you mind sharing where the window treatments (beige with white dots) came from? Thank you. Love your blog.
HI SHANNON! You can see them here:https://bit.ly/3vqNz4f
Thank you.
Your advice is so wise! You are a designer genius at using texture
Oh, wow! Thanks Linda!
Where can I find this rug
https://www.stonegableblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EEW-4-7-21-Best-Living-Room-Ideas-StoneGable.jpg
This is great advice. I try to do the same in our home staying with neutral walls and the best furniture that we can afford. I have scoured thrift stores for years finding some high quality furnishings and decor that makes our home unique. A pair of brass Stiffel lamps for $5.00 as an example. We have the identical headboard in our bedroom too and no one would know just how inexpensive it was. And your advise that less is more is spot on though at times I do struggle with that and find myself constantly editing. However if you love something it usually works in a variety of spots. Thanks for the great article.
Thanks, Catherine. I love your tip about getting good pieces at thrift shops.
When you post your get the look next week, please include your bedskirt and blanket. They are lovely. Also my husband is building me a new kitchen lsland, what is better to paint wood , milk paint, or chalk? Love your posts. Kim
Hi Yvonne! I love the posts of your beautiful rooms and have been an admirer for a long time. I especially love the rug and fabric on the settee. Would you mind sharing the fabric info?
I’ll be sharing the sources in a GET THE LOOK next week.
Fantastic advice! I’ve been following you for a while now but I just had to comment on this post since you hit out of the park! Love the idea of mixing high/low, light neutral walls, and investing wisely in a few traditional pieces! I don’t love the decorator blogs that are like, “look at this beautiful eye candy I did.” You share the secrets and empower real women with real budgets to make their homes special! Thank you so much for your blog <3
Yvonne,
Thank you for all of your great advice. A few months ago, I realized I actually hated everything in my living room and wanted new furniture. Once I decided what I wanted, I had no idea what to do to make my house feel right to me, and welcoming to guests. I don’t believe I’ve ever had such a difficult time pulling a room together in the past. I have finally gotten my living/dining room combo looking more like I want them, but it is a constantly evolving process. Thank you for your great advice about being patient during the decorating process, and being patient with a perfectly imperfect home. You saved my sanity!
You will have a more curated look if you take your time!
Yvonne, what a wonderful post! You are spot on when it comes to pairing refined “high” end items with “lower” end times to create a fresh look. It makes it affordable for everyone to create a beautiful home! Thank you for your informative posts! I so enjoy all the information you share!!!
Hi Barbi, you are welcome. High/low is my favorite!
Pinned! Your advice is worth so much, Yvonne! Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait for the ecourse!
I really love your post. You give very good information which I am trying to follow. As I change out different things in my home, I am going neutral. I love it! Thanks so much for such good advice.
Great advice…amazing room !!!
The bedroom is lovely and timeless. All the neutral colors and textures are just perfect. Thank you for sharing. Jean
Hi, Yvonne! This post is timely and on point! My husband and I purchased high quality, very well made coffee table, sofa tables and a lamp table in 1987 when we built our first house. We built our second house and moved this furniture with us. We have replaced everything twice, except for these tables. They are Lane, and they just don’t make them like they used to! The pickled oak had faded and yellowed from the sun, and looked so bad…So, I took action! Annie Sloan chalk paint is my new best friend! I have beautiful, solid REAL wood furniture that is updated and fabulous! I couldn’t be happier, and the money saved by not replacing these durable and now timeless pieces will afford us other updates to our living spaces. THanks for being a strong proponent of painting furniture…it truly can transform everything!
Blessings,
❤️Beth
Yvonne,
Love the splurge of the real Mongolian lumbar pillow and would love to add that to my bed as you have done. Can you share where you found it? I found great 20″ square ones at (of all places!) Costco for a steal but I really want the simplicity of the long lumbar style instead. Thanks for sharing your finds!
I’ll post all links to the bedroom next week.
After reading this article I feel much better about mixing “knock-offs” with my nicer pieces. I read that you had replaced your beautiful oriental rug with the lovely one that you have now in the dining room and it is perfect. I still have my oriental rug that was an “investment” laying under my new restoration hardware-style table and it is so not my style anymore. I appreciate your suggestions about letting go of things that don’t work for us any longer and so I am going to roll up the rug and haul it to the attic. It will be a challenge finding a replacement but I guess I’m up for it!! Thank you for opening up your beautiful home and sharing your tricks for decorating stylishly. XOXO
Beth, YOU GO GIRL!!!! I love that you were brave and painted still good but tired pieces in your home! And maybe your story will make others brave enough to do that too.
Next time you paint use Amy Howard’s A Maker Studio Rescue and
Restore paints. You won’t believe how smooth they are and they smell like Vanilla!
Your bedroom is lovely.The neutral pallet is so light, airy and tranquil.I especially like the window treatments and bedskirt.
Good morning! This room is so lovely to look at. I’m thinking of painting our bedroom but talking my husband into any shade of white will take a lot of doing. It is a very small room, houses in the 60’s were generally meant for a double bed, and to complicate matters I have two walls of windows. Originally the windows were small and wide but well over my head so that I could not see outside. It was like being in a prison! So my bed is up against windows that are over 100” wide. While I know it’s not in style anymore, I do have drapes over sheers for both privacy and decor. I managed to replace my four poster bed with an iron bed frame that has soft lines and lets light show through but I’m stuck with cherry bureaus. I don’t know if I can ever bring myself to paint them when I think of what they cost, but they have virtually no resale value. Right now I have severe armoire envy!
I think I will need to take your advice and start an idea board before tackling anything. Oddly enough the one thing I think I’ll keep are my drapes. I have paired one pair of bottle green drapes with a pair of printed drapes in each window. The fabric in the printed drapes also covers a wing chair set in the corner for reading. I see the predominant color as an olive/bottle green. My walls are currently this color which is really unattractive but I hesitate changing to white because my bedding is white. I wonder if I was to paint my bureaus, what color would I use as a base? A light blue comes to mind or a shade of gray. I want something that will look more on trend but do not want white. Sorry to go on and on, it’s just that you make this look so easy when it is really quite difficult!
Margo, every room has its own difficulties for sure! My bedroom was not easy at all! Lots of decisions. I let go of a mahogany rice carved bed and an oriental rug. There are so many weird but interesting angles in my bedroom and very limited places to put a bed.
I had a few decorating bloopers that I’ll share later.
Margo, remember that decorating is a process! Like any project, it takes time. Don’t look at these things as issues or problems look at them as a way to get to a room you love!
Cecilia, I have several good orientals in the basement and I can’t give them away to my kids. I am saving one for another bedroom makeover. It’s a tribal design and red. LOVE it!!! So I’ll put it over a sisal rug. LOVE the way you think!
I enjoy your blog and love your style! Can you tell me about the rug in this post as well as in the post about the round coffee table?
The rug is a new purchase. It was originally in the living room but after living with it I decided it would work better in the bedroom. Sometimes you just know a piece belongs in your home and this one was it for me. Can you believe it’s an indoor/outdoor rug? I found it at Ballard Designs.
Will you post “Get the Look” for your bedroom?
I love the baskets hung above the bed.
Love all your posts. I’m learning so much.
I’m signed up for your Decorating Class. Can’t wait!
Yes, I’ll post the bedroom GET THE LOOK next week.
Beverly, I bought some like that at Magnolia.com (Joanna Gaines’ store in Waco).
This room is beautiful! I’m with the other posters, can you please share get the look for the bedside wall lamps?
The sconces came from Wayfair but they are out of stock right now. Next week I’ll post a get the look with sources.
Yvonne, can you do a Get the Look for this post please?
Yvonne, that room is beautiful! What a lovely retreat you have created for you and your guy.
Pat
Oh Yvonne, that armoire is just gorgeous. Can you share the brand of where you got it. I just love it. What light it brings to this room. Everything about this room is spot on.
The armoire came from Wayfair. I’ll share a get the look next week with all the details.
Beautiful room, Yvonne! Could you tell us how you keep your room dark at night? I noticed you don’t have any kind of shades etc. and very open weave curtains. And by the way, did you make your curtains and bedskirt and what kind of fabric is that? Love it!
I don’t have shades right now. We live in the country and have no street lamps or cars. So we pull our curtains shut. I love the soft sun coming in the room in the morning waking me up! But things may change.
Hope this helps.
I love getting your emails and have learned so much from you. This may be your best article yet Yvonne! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sabra!